NCBG of Chicago Uses BeyondGeo to supply Map Data to the Public 05.02.2003

Interactive citywide maps on the Internet are used as a resource to the public for city revitalization.

The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group of Chicago publishes interactive
citywide maps on the Internet as a resource to the public for city
revitalization.

Using the Internet to keep the public informed about city planning or tax
assessment issues with maps and map data is becoming more and more
commonplace everyday. Yet, the difficulty most not-for-profit and
government agencies run into is the high-cost and complicated features of
most Internet mapping products on the market today. The Neighborhood
Capital Budget Group (NCBG) of Chicago is using Blue Marble Geographics'
BeyondGeo Internet mapping service because it is the exception to this
rule. Blue Marble provides the customer service and support necessary for
users to work quickly and effectively with their Internet maps.

NCBG, a not-for-profit 200 member community-based coalition in Chicago
keeps the citizens of Chicago informed about their work to stimulate and
support investment in city neighborhood "bricks and mortar" infrastructure
and other economic development projects. Whether it's transit systems or
school buildings, NCBG informs and educates the citizens of Chicago about
the details of such public and private development. This data can get
quite detailed and presenting it in complicated or hard to use tables is
not the best solution for a community portal such as www.ncbg.org.

Over the past few months NCBG researched Internet mapping solutions in
earnest, hoping to find an affordable and easy to use solution. Their
research brought them to Blue Marble Geographics' BeyondGeo.com based on
the perfect mix of features, functionality and affordability. BeyondGeo
requires no software, hardware, maintenance, or custom development
investments, just a low set up fee and an annual support and subscription
fee.

After NCBG signed on they were also pleased to find that Blue Marble was
attentive, quick to respond and knowledgeable about their set up and
support issues. "The Blue Marble Support Team was a tremendous help to me
when I started," commented Patricia Nolan, Director of Community Planning.
"I really appreciate that they converted the projection of most of our
shape files for us. So far, I can say that their technical assistance has
been outstanding." The map is now published directly in NCBG's web site
using BeyondGeo. It was up just in time to help with providing the public
information they need for the annual City of Chicago Capital Improvement
Hearings.

"Blue Marble Geographics prides itself on providing excellent customer
service," states Patrick Cunningham, Director of Business Development.
"We take support and service very seriously, knowing full well that we are
not successful if our customers are not successful."
About The Neighborhood Capital Budget Group: The NCBG is a not-for-profit
citywide coalition, whose mission is to empower communities to plan for,
participate in, and benefit from the revitalization of the City's
neighborhoods. NCBG advocates for increased public investment in the
"bricks and mortar" of neighborhoods, including neighborhood
infrastructure, schools and transit, as a means to stimulate and support
communities' efforts to achieve comprehensive and strategic community
revitalization. www.ncbg.org

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